It’s The Classic Rock Roll Of Honour awards show next week, and if we had our way we’d award all of these artists baubles. For they have brightened up the last seven days in ways you cannot even begin to imagine, but mainly by rocking.
Honeymoon Disease - Gotta Move
The press release accompanying Gotta Move warns us that fans of KISS, Rainbow, Thin Lizzy, Led Zeppelin & Deep Purple might enjoy the song, and it’s not wrong. Throw in UFO and you’ve got the set: Honeymoon Disease are bringing back the old-fashioned rock, and they’re bringing it hard.
Scorpions - Midnight Blues Jam
A slow-burning blues from back in 1977, when The Scorpions were at their most lascivious. This demo, taken from the deluxe edition reissue of Taken By Force, features lots of squelchy guitar and a make-it-up-as-you-go-along guide vocal from Klaus Meine.
Flying Colors - *Bombs Away
*One of the more straightforward songs from Flying Colors’ second album, this live version of the epic Bombs Away finds the band bringing their musical smarts to the grateful citizens of Pratteln, a municipality in the canton of Basel-Landschaft, Switzerland.
The Cult - Dark Energy
According to Wikipedia, dark energy is “an unknown form of energy which is hypothesized to permeate all of space, tending to accelerate the expansion of the universe.” According to The Cult, it’s the opening track and first single to be taken from their new album, Hidden City.
Dave Gahan & Soulsavers - All of This and Nothing
The Depeche Mode man returns with this romantically dark, brooding yet catchy cut from new album Angels And Ghosts. Just try watching that kaleidoscopic video without getting a little dizzy…
Heavy Glow - Domino
We once described Heavy Glow as “hard rock steeped in psyche-soaked proto-metal, gutbucket garage rock and bone-deep 70s blooze.” The band’s new video Domino finds the band mining a similarly rich vein, with a lyric video featuring one of those nice bouncing red balls that enables listeners to sing along with the words.
Rush - Tom Sawyer
A video worth watching if only for the brilliant Alex Lifeson mime at 1’34”, the classic Tom Sawyer finds Rush apparently having enormous amounts of fun onstage as their career winds to a close.
Girlschool - Take It Like A Band
Taken from Girlschool’s 13th album Guilty As Sin, Take It Like A Band (great title) is Girlschool at their exuberant, spiky best, with a song that sounds like their old pals Motorhead covered by a bunch of unruly oiks from St Trinians.
